Now and Forever
by Attila12
Summary: A friendshipping oneshot taking place right after you defeat Articuno. From the POV of a female Pikachu.


_Well, after playing my Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game for a while, this idea popped into my head. I hope you like it! A friendshipping oneshot, taking place right after defeating Articuno._

**Disclaimer: I do no own Pokemon in any way shape or form.**

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The air was bitterly cold. The wind felt like a sheet of needles, pounding repeatedly into my face. I didn't really feel the cold, dry snow beneath my feet, simply because they had long ago grown numb. On top of the weather conditions, the exhaustion was eating away at me. Both my body and my soul were tired from the journey.

I was on the run. Being hunted down by the pokemon I had once called me "friend". Now they call me "fiend".

You see, I am suspected to be the human from the Ninetales myth. The human who ran away and let Gardevoir take the fall for them when Ninetales gave the curse. The human who Ninetales predicted would one day be reborn as a pokemon and cause the destruction of the world.

The sad thing is, they may be right.

I have not always been a pokemon. I woke up as one a while ago near Tiny Woods. I used to be a human. Plus a Gardevoir appears to me in my dreams. What if I really am the human?

Charlie, my best friend and the first pokemon I ever met in this world, tells me that he is sure that I am not the one and that as soon as we find Ninetales, we can go back home and our long, arduous journey will be over. I wish I was as sure about that as he is…

Speaking of Charlie.

"Hey Charlie! How ya holding up?" I called back to him, yelling a little to be heard above the snow and wind.

"Just fine Megan! Don't worry about me!" he called back, trying to sound enthusiastic despite the fact that he must be just as exhausted as me. He sometimes lies about his condition so that I won't worry, so I look back to check up on him. I gasp at what I see.

His orange scales have taken on a bluish tint and the flame on his tail has greatly diminished in size. And he had ice near his eyes, which is not natural for a fire type.

"Blade!" I yell ahead to the Absol who had recently joined our team.

He came back to us and his eyes widened slightly. We were both in pretty bad shape, but Charlie was worse. At least I had my yellow fur to protect me. All he had was scales. Plus, I'm a mammal. I am warm-blooded. I never realized that Charlie, being a cold-blooded reptile, depended on the temperature to regulate his own.

"You guys should rest a while and recuperate your strength. I'll dig you out a snow cave," Blade said as he walked over to a nearby snow bank.

Charlie didn't even have the energy to argue that we should keep moving. Besides, he looked terrible. He probably realized that Blade was right.

After Blade finished digging the cave, he left to go be a watch out for our pursuers. After all, he had not fought Moltres and Articuno as we had. I helped Charlie into the cave. Then I gathered some sticks from some nearby pine trees and brought them into the cave. Charlie used a weak Ember to light them and create a fire. We sat very close to the dancing flames to warm our hides as much as possible. I sat right next to Charlie, hoping to warm him up a little more with my body heat.

His skin felt unnaturally cold. It was usually so warm. I was scared for him.

_He didn't need to come with me. He could be home right now, warm and safe. Now, because of me, he might die._

This horrible thought brought tears to her obsidian eyes, making the already cold air feel even colder against my face. He was only out here because of me. He could have stayed home, but he was determined to stick by my side not matter what.

I didn't want Charlie to see my tears and get worried, so I quickly wiped them away and rubbed my numb feet a little. I inspected them and was relieved to see that they were not frostbitten. A bit numb, but not frostbitten. I kept up the rubbing until I regained feeling in them. I immediately got that stupid pins and needles feeling of a limb falling asleep in them. I wiggled them around until the pins and needles stopped.

I brought my tail around my body to check it as well. I am horrified to see that the edge of my heart-shaped tail has turned a blackish color. Frostbite. I hope it can heal itself eventually.

There is nothing I can really do for it right now. I had to save our berries for emergencies in dungeons. Although Charlie's state could be called an emergency.

I reached into out kit and pulled out one of the Oran berries. I handed it to Charlie. He looked at it for a moment, then at me, then back at the berry before splitting it in half. He held out the slightly bigger half for me.

"No, Charlie. You need to eat the whole thing so you'll get better. I'm fine, I don't need it like you do," I told him and shoved his claw and the berry back to him.

"Megan, you need to eat and regain your strength too," Charlie argued. He had that determined look in his emerald eyes. I knew there was really no use arguing with him when he had that look.

"Fine, I'll eat half," I said as I reached over and took the smaller half. "But you need to eat the bigger half. After all, you are slightly bigger than me."

He smiled and complied.

After we finished our Oran berry halves, we sat and stared at the fire. I always get slightly mesmerized while staring into a fire, and this is no exception. But sometimes, my thoughts run wild in my mesmerized state.

_There's no way we can keep this up for much longer. If we don't die from the cold and exhaustion, that pokemon group will find us and kill all of us. Not just me, Charlie and Blade too. They said so themselves that anyone who came with me would be considered an enemy as well. And what if we make it all the way to that stupid mountain and Ninetales isn't there? Maybe I should just give myself up and save Charlie and Blade while I can. Besides, if I really am causing the natural disasters, it would be better for everyone anyway._

I could feel my eyes filling with tears again. Then I felt something slightly warm brush against my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw that it was Charlie's orange claw, wiping the tears from my face.

"Don't cry Megan. After we find Ninetales and prove you innocent, we can go home and start our rescues again. Besides, the last thing you need tight not is icicles on your face," he said sweetly, trying to cheer me up a little.

"That's just it though. What if I AM the human from the legend. What if we can't find Ninetales and we all end up dead?! I don't want you getting hurt because of me," I replied bitterly.

"Megan, you aren't the human from the legend. I just know it. You would never abandon Gardevoir. And even if we can't find Ninetales I'll stick by your side no matter what. We are friends, now and forever," he said with that look in his eyes he gets whenever he talks about our friendship. A passionate look you could call it.

"But Charlie, you have no reason to stick by me through all of this! Those pokemon need you! I don't want you to get killed because of me! It would haunt me for eternity. I feel terrible putting you through all this as it is. Maybe I should just give myself up and stop fighting this. I can't stand seeing you get hurt any more. It's all my fault," I retorted on the verge of tears. My spirit is breaking. I truly couldn't take much more of this.

"You are a pretty good reason, Megan. The BEST reason. You aren't putting me through this. I am putting myself through this because I beleive in you. I could never leave you to face this alone. I would be just like the human from the myth if I did that to you. I could not stand not being with you to make sure you are okay and to watch your back and protect you. I am not me without you Megan. So, whether you like it or not, I am sticking by your side now and forever. I love you Megan," he said before gasping and throwing his claws over his mouth, his cheeks redder than the usual orange color. He had obviously let the last sentence slip out by accident because of the passion he was saying the little speech with.

I could feel my own cheeks heat up as well. Not to mention my widened eyes.

Had he just said what I thought he said, or was this all a hallucination. The wind was still cold and the fire was warming. If sure felt real.

Yes, it was true. My best friend and the Charmander I loved in a more-than-friends kind of way had just told me he loved me. And he must mean the more-than-friends way too, judging by how red his face was.

My naturally cherry red cheeks started blending with the rest of my face. I hugged him back and ducked my head slightly in bashfulness as I replied.

"I love you too, Charlie. And I will love you now and forever."

His emerald eyes widened in even more shock. "Really?"

I nodded, the longer, spiky fur on the top of my head brushing slightly against his chin.

"I feel like an intruder, but we really should be moving on now," I heard the familiar voice of our Absol friend call from the opening of our little snow cave.

We turned and looked, our faces both red as a Magikarp. Sure enough, Blade was sitting near the opening, looking in at us and trying to suppress his snickering with one of his white paws.

"Well, come on ya lovebirds. You guys look warm enough to continue with your little red faces," Blade said grinning impishly as he walked away from the cave.

Charlie and I blushed a little more, looked at each other, and burst into a giggling fit. We really were red.

"Well, I guess he's right. Let's get going. The sooner we find Ninetales, the sooner we can go home!" I said cheerfully as I followed Blade.

"I'm right behind ya Megan! I always will be. It's good to see you back you yourself, the you I know and love!" he replied grinning as he followed me.

I smiled. I was glad to be me again too. Especially with Charlie right by my side, no matter what happens. We'll pull through it, now and forever.

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_Well, there it was. I really hope you liked it. It was kinda spur of the moment, so I hope it turned out okay. Please review!_


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